Northwest NEWS

June 19, 2000

Flying Wheels on roads and trails

by Bronwyn Wilson, senior staff reporter

WOODINVILLE--Caution! Please be on the lookout for bicycle riders flying through Woodinville this Sunday, June 25th. Flying Wheels, an annual Cascade Bicycle Club event for athletes and non-athletes alike, will bring riders out on the roads and on the Sammamish River Trail en masse.

The ten-year annual event is for serious riders who want to train for STP (Seattle to Portland), a two-day, 200-mile ride scheduled for July 8th and 9th. It is also for not-so-serious riders and for families who want to enjoy a fun outing.

For STP training, the event provides a 60- and 100-mile ride, and both are beautiful, scenic, and hilly. For those wishing a little less pedal-pumping, there's a 30-mile loop.
For the kids, there will be a family ride leaving Redmond City Hall and heading to Marymoor Park where the kids will have a snack and take a whirl around the Velodrome. The ride continues back to City Hall, where upon arriving, the fun picks up with a Kid's Fair, noon to 3 p.m. Balloons, ice cream, and a big inflatable called "Tony Too Tall Tiger" will be available for the kids' enjoyment. Also, Lolli and her partner in clown antics, Charlie the Juggling Clown, will provide laughs. For some meaningful fun, a bike rodeo will offer safety tips in riding.

"Part of the Kid's Fair idea is to introduce kids to cycling and get them excited about cycling," Donna Schmidt, Events Coordinator of Cascade Bicycle Club, said.

The family ride to Marymoor and back is a total of six miles. "It's very casual, it's the Sammamish River trail," Schmidt said.

Cascade Bicycle Club is 30 years old and the oldest, largest bike club in the United States. It is known in Washington for its Bicycle Education Program, which provides materials to schools on cycling safety. They also have a helmet campaign, providing affordable bike helmets to kids.

"Flying Wheels has always served the purpose for people getting ready for STP," Schmidt said. But this year, Cascade Bicycle Club added their first Kid's Fair to the Flying Wheels event hoping to draw in more families.

Registry for the 30-,60-,100-mile loops runs from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.; the charge for adults riding the loops is $23. The family Ride begins at 10 a.m. and the cost is $5 per person over the age of 6 years. Everyone under 6 is free.

All rides start at Redmond City Hall at 15670 NE 85th Street. For further information, call 888-334-BIKE or visit www.cascade.org.